Why you should listen (not just talk) to customers in IT

By Chalva Tchkotoua, Group VP at NaviSite, a Time Warner Cable Company

In today’s ever-evolving technology landscape, it is vital to understand what issues your customers are trying to address in order to provide the right solutions. Across a vast range of industries, one of the greatest errors sales and account teams can make is to talk “at” customers, rather than “to” them – and even worse, forget to listen. The value of feedback from an individual customer not only strengthens and improves the relationship, it also makes your business smarter and stronger to current and prospective clients. Additionally, the insights gleaned from an end-user can immensely enhance product development and overall business growth.

One of the most effective ways to engage with and maintain communication with customers is to establish a Customer Advisory Board (CAB). By bringing customers together, businesses can collect real-time feedback and keep a pulse on the challenges the end-user is facing to better meet their needs. The following guidelines can help strengthen the impact of your board and overall rapport with customers:

– Scale the board to your business size: To create a truly personal experience, it is imperative to scale the size of your CAB to the size of your business. You must ensure that your team has the bandwidth to provide members of the board with the attention and guidance needed for the most beneficial experience. For example, your team must be able to offer each member of the CAB 1:1 time throughout the year, as well as to summarize those discussions, report and ultimately address key areas that require attention. Teams must be diligent in acting on this information and showing progress to ensure customers feel they are being heard.

– Meet face-to-face: All too often in our highly connected culture, we forget the immense benefits of meeting in-person – particularly in business. While you should be connecting with customers on a regularly basis, it is imperative to set aside a time and place to meet with your CAB face-to-face and dedicate your full attention to them throughout. The relationship between your team and your customer’s team will only grow stronger when you are able to get to know the people behind the business. An annual CAB summit can serve as a great opportunity to unite customers, so you can better see your strengths and areas of improvement through their eyes. In addition to meeting in person, your teams should address concerns and requests from the CAB in real-time to help show your appreciation and build trust.

– Foster dialogue and provide valuable insight: Lastly, whenever your clients offer their time and attention, be sure that the end goal of the conversation is always to add value to their business. Come prepared to discuss current and future industry trends and regularly connect with industry analysts or industry luminaries to gain a first-hand view on what is currently going on in the marketplace. It’s also important to share strategies and product roadmaps to gather feedback, and foster dialogue around areas of concern surrounding business operations and service. This will provide members of the CAB an added level of awareness and the ability to plan for change, if needed.

Customer experience and satisfaction should be at the core of every business and an established CAB can help organizations to better understand and address the needs of valued customers. After all, where would any business be without the support of its customers? While some organizations (particularly in IT) can be very transactional in their dealings with customers, a more collaborative and personable approach will foster a relationship that improves business relationships, enhances product development and cultivates innovation.